


Love Like Woe

by TheRedLotusFlower88



Category: PAW Patrol
Genre: Best Friends, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Light Angst, M/M, Protectiveness, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Strangers to Friends to Lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-05
Updated: 2017-11-20
Packaged: 2018-12-24 08:23:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12008817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRedLotusFlower88/pseuds/TheRedLotusFlower88
Summary: With the pups pairing off, Rubble's left all alone until he comes across a pup whose background is much like his own. As the two continue to meet up, Rubble might just find what he's looking for in a mate. Main: RubblexOC. Other mentioned: MarshallxChase, SkyexEverest, RockyxZuma, and RyderxKatie. You may see hints of CalixOC too.





	1. Chapter 1

It was a bright and sunny day in Adventure Bay, with Rubble being down at the beach, making a sandcastle. As always, whenever there was nothing going on, no one asking for help, the pups were off doing their own thing, up until Ryder did need them. The young bulldog sighed.

He didn't know when it happened, but the pups have been pairing off more than usual; mostly because they've somehow became mates. First had been Marshall and Chase, which came a shock to everyone, but them, apparently. Most of the community knew that Chase had a crush on Skye, so when it was revealed that Chase had decided to make Marshall his mate, well, it really was a shocker. Though not officially mated, since the pups were still too young for that sort of thing, the two had decided to make each other mates by other means - such as rubbing their scents together, on their pup houses, and if the red on Marshall's neck just a little below his collar was anything to go by, by biting each other as well. It was because of them that sparked Zuma and Rocky's mate-like relationship as well.

Rubble wants to be surprised about this, if only for the fact that Rocky hates water. The bulldog thought because of this difference, that their relationship would be on the rocks (no pun intended), but not really. Zuma had understood Rocky's fear of water, and instead of pressuring him, he helped him through it up until Rocky himself was confident that he wasn't going to drown the moment he stepped into the pool. Since then, the two had been side-by-side, just like Chase and Marshall.

Another shocker, and maybe a little bit of disappointment on his end, was Skye and Everest's get together as well. None of the males knew how it happen; Rubble began to suspect it was during the time Skye had got caught in the blizzard, but the two lone females of the group had decided to mate as well, with Everest coming over to visit Skye and Skye doing the same. Rubble was disappointed, simply because like Chase, he had a crush on Skye for the longest of times. Since they first met, actually. He thought she was pretty, and she laughed as most of his jokes, and even if Skye had chosen Chase instead, he still cared for her, still wanted her for his own.

It's just too bad Rubble was youngest of the group.

The English bulldog frowned.

He didn't think his age mattered when it came to these sort of things; sure, in human years, he wasn't ready to be mated, but that didn't mean he didn't feel what the rest of the group was feeling. Rubble had been alone for a long time, both before and after he became a wandering pup in the streets, and he had always wanted to know what it feels like to be loved, in that way. He thought he had a chance with Skye after Chase had moved on with Marshall, but she had turned to another pup, female, and didn't even bother to say anything to Rubble about his crush. It felt as hopeless as bouncing up towards the moon wearing nothing, but sneakers.

It also kind of hurt that everyone else had their own love lives while Rubble was stuck all on his own.

Even Ryder had a love life - he and Katie had been seeing each other more and more, getting closer, and Rubble had to wonder if Ryder had made her his mate yet - girlfriend, is what the humans would call it.

He sighed.

"Everyone's got someone special, but me." He whimpered, honey-brown eyes tearing up when he heard a small noise coming from the back of him. Turning around, he spotted a pup, a Rottweiler it looked like, walking down the beach and headed between the docks, with a leftover burger in her - at least, judging by the scent, the pup was a she - mouth. Once comfortable, she sat down and began eating it, too focus on the food to notice she was being stared at.

Rubble eyed her.

She had no collar from what Rubble could see, her tail docked (which is always a sad thing when it comes certain breeds. Understandable, but really a tragedy when someone cuts off a piece of an animal's tail), and her ears flat. Her coat was black, obviously with most Rotties, with a copper-color on her stomach, muzzle, and a little bit on her ears and eyebrows. A little underweight for a Rottie, but seeing as she had no collar, it was to be expected. She also looked as though she was the same age as Rubble.

The English bulldog paused for a moment.

The pup was pretty, he thought, maybe even more so than Skye, and she looked as though she came around the same circle as he, so maybe, just maybe...

With a determine look on his face, Rubble stood up.

Maybe it was his time to find a friend of his own, and if willing, a mate.


	2. Chapter 2

The Rottweiler had just finished eating her burger when a shadow - albeit a small one - fell over her and caused her to tilt her head to the side, brown eyes peering up at the stranger. From the smell, she could tell that the bulldog - English if you want to be specific - was a male, and she huffed.

"Hi," He started, tail wagging as he looked at her eager eyes. "My name's Rubble. What's yours?"

The Rottweiler didn't say anything. Instead, she just laid her head on the ground, eyes moving towards the sea. Frowning at the clear dismal, Rubble continued to talk.

"Are you a stray? I was a stray once, too. But then, a nice human named Ryder took me in, and now I have a shelter, food, and most of all - love! I bet if I took you to him, you'll like him." He said, chuckling. Still, the Rottie didn't say anything. "You know, it's okay to talk about it. I won't judge. I know it's scary to be out all on your own, that you think no one cares for you, but that's not true! Lots of people care, you just have to find the right one!"

"...Don't you have something better to do?" She asked, startling Rubble, who blinked, before chuckling.

"Not really. If I did, my tag would light up by now and then Ryder would be all 'PAW Patrol, to the lookout!'" He said. The Rottie blinked.

"PAW Patrol? You're part of the PAW Patrol?" She asked. Rubble nodded.

"Yep! I'm the constructive pup. I help build things and move things out of the way with my rig." He said. The Rottweiler just stared at him.

"What's a rig?" She asked. Rubble stared at her, bewildered.

"It's a machine that helps me dig holes, or push things such as boulders out of the way. You've never seen a rig before?" Rubble asked. The Rottie shook her head, somewhat confused and shyly looked away, embarrassed.

"Not...really. Not one made for pups, anyway. Most of the constructions are done on a site blocked from view, so..." She shrugged. "And besides, I have been living under the docks a good while. The only time I ever stepped out is for food, water, or bathroom breaks. I...I don't socialize much."

"Why not? People don't bite. At least, I don't think they do. Their teeth aren't sharp enough to hurt anyone." Rubble said, smiling when he saw the Rottie's lips twist into a small smile.

"No, it's just..." She hesitated, before shrugging her shoulders again. "I just don't. Since living on my own, I have no desire to socialize with anyone."

"You're socializing with me," Rubble pointed out, grinning as she blushed. _Cute._ "Look, I get it. As I said, I was a stray too. One of the perks of being a stray, is that you don't have to listen to anyone, and you're free to do as you wish," He paused. "But I was incredibly lonely. I had no one to play with, and walking around town without a spare glance hurts - a lot. No one gave me the time of day, and I had to beg for food and that's it. I wasn't skittish, or anything. I had been socialize with people, so I know what to do and what not to do. Still, to be overlooked as much as I have been, it left a deep wound in my heart. I thought there was something wrong with me, and until I had met Ryder, I kept thinking that I was never good enough. That I wasn't a good pup." Rubble gave a small smile. "When Ryder decided to take me in, and made me a part of the team, that was the happiest day of my life. I never regretted it. I'm sure the same could be said about you."

"That's where you're wrong," The Rottweiler said, Rubble blinking at the interruption. "No one would want me. I'm not 'perfect', whatever that means."

"What are you talking about? You seem fine to me." Rubble said, cocking his head to the side.

"My tail's docked, and people don't like that. I have a scar on my face because I had gotten into a fight, and now everyone thinks I'm too 'dangerous' to be around children. My parents are dead, washed out to the sea, and my owner had abandon me." She snarled, quickly wiping away the tears. "He told me he would be right back. He said he loved me and he wouldn't leave me. So no, no one would want me."

"I understand that too." Rubble said, honey-brown eyes taking on a serious tone, surprising the Rottweiler. "My mother passed away weeks after the birth of my fifteenth sibling. My dad had been nowhere on the scene. I did have owners before Ryder, and they had packed up their things and moved out of Adventure Bay, leaving me behind. I had waited and waited, until a new family showed up and I had to leave the property. I'm not perfect either. People claimed me as childish and too energetic, only having kiddie's view of the world, and often fallen under the 'too young to understand' trope. And you know what else? None of the PAW Patrol is perfect either. Skye's annoying when she wants to be, Marshall can't even walk in a straight line, Chase is too bossy, Zuma's speech impairment sometimes gets on my nerves, Rocky's fear of water - not anymore at least - drove me nuts, and Everest is too darn hyper AND she talks a lot. It's a Husky thing, but still. Also, Ryder's attitude for every mission makes me angry sometimes too. So, no, we aren't perfect, but for all the things we lack, we make up for with compassion and desire to help others." He said. "So with all that being said, Ryder still wanted us. Still loved us. And again, someone would want you too, you just gotta look for it."

She just stared at him.

"For someone around my age, you sure seem wise beyond your years." The Rottweiler said, and Rubble laughed.

"If anyone is paying attention to me, they would have known that," He sighed. "Still, I love my friends and I love the things that I do. One of the things that I enjoy is helping someone who needs help and pardon me, but it seems as though you need help yourself."

"You're not going to force me to join the PAW Patrol, are you?" She asked, giving Rubble a blank stare. The bulldog laughed, long and hard.

"No no, not if you don't want to. But you seem as though you need a friend, and I'm more than happy to be that friend. So let's start over shall we? Hi, I'm Rubble." Rubble said, holding out a paw. The Rottweiler stared at it before giving her own paw and shook his. Rubble grinned.

"Diamond."


End file.
